Nonpartisan Hacks

Joel Grenz and Sean Wood

Hosted by two Parksville city councillors, Nonpartisan Hacks brings you behind the scenes of how government really works — without the spin, the shouting, or the partisanship. We dive into the practical, the absurd, and the oddly inspiring world of local government, while mixing in the occasional provincial and federal twist. Expect real talk about decision-making, budgets, bylaws, and political hot potatoes (with a helping of humour and honesty).

  1. Municipal Courage with Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto

    4d ago

    Municipal Courage with Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto

    What happens when the province doesn't move fast enough and people in your city can't wait? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Marianne Alto, Mayor of the City of Victoria, recorded live at the AVICC convention. Victoria isn't just BC's capital city, it's a mid-sized municipality shouldering an outsized share of the region's housing pressures, homelessness, and mental health and addiction challenges, all while the provincial legislature sits in its front yard. Mayor Alto talks candidly about what it looks like when a city decides to stop waiting: building 97 new shelter and transitional housing spaces, creating a first-of-its-kind Community Safety, Wellbeing, and Partnerships department, and funding nonprofit service providers when senior governments can't or won't. She also shares what she's learned about courage, accountability, adaptability, and why standing in a room full of people yelling at you is sometimes just part of the job. Listen in for: How Victoria exceeded its provincial housing targets — and why Mayor Alto was "jumping up and down" to be picked first Why Victoria carries more than 80% of the region's social services — and what she's doing about it The story behind the Dollar Place facility: two public meetings, hundreds of angry residents, and a decision she'd make again How the city's Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan is funding nonprofits to do what the province hasn't What she told her council on inauguration day: "Listen, think, and then do good work" Advice for elected officials deciding whether to run again — including a frank conversation about vitriol in public life 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line. 🎵 Theme music: "Cruising" by Sky Gienger via Uppbeat | License: JNRTTK70QSW4XR8V

    51 min
  2. When Democracy Becomes Dangerous with Marianne Meed Ward

    May 29

    When Democracy Becomes Dangerous with Marianne Meed Ward

    What happens when serving your community means risking your personal safety? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, recorded live at the AVICC convention in Victoria, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Marianne Meed Ward — Mayor of Burlington, Ontario and co-founder of Elect Respect — to talk about the growing crisis of harassment, abuse, and outright threats facing elected officials at every level of government. Marianne has received death threats, been told by police not to attend her own public meetings, and watched a colleague leave elected life entirely because of the abuse. Rather than stepping back, she helped launch a national movement. Elect Respect is now a cross-country campaign with hundreds of elected officials and over 60 municipalities signed on. The pledge is simple: commit to respectful democracy, lead by example, and ask the same of colleagues and constituents. Listen in for: The real-life incidents — including death threats linked to a local development application — that pushed Mayor Meed Ward to act Why the tools available to municipalities to deal with misconduct are dangerously limited (and easily weaponized) How social media, bots, and post-COVID anonymity turbocharged political toxicity at the local level What Elect Respect is actually asking people to do, and how any elected official or member of the public can sign the pledge today Why changing the culture has to start with politicians themselves 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line. Sign the pledge: electrespect.ca 🎵 Theme music: "Cruising" by Sky Gienger via Uppbeat | License: JNRTTK70QSW4XR8V

    31 min
  3. Bring the Bill: Rob Shaw on First Reading, DRIPA, and the Erosion of Debate

    May 1

    Bring the Bill: Rob Shaw on First Reading, DRIPA, and the Erosion of Debate

    What happens when a government starts blocking bills before anyone gets to read them? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood welcome back BC political reporter Rob Shaw — host of Political Capital and co-author of the bestselling A Matter of Confidence — for the "Criterion Edition" of his rant on first reading at the BC Legislature. They unpack what first reading actually does, why the NDP government's growing habit of blocking opposition bills (including a recent Trevor Halford bill on DRIPA) chips away at the institution, and how the same procedural dynamics show up around the municipal council table. From DRIPA to slates to the quiet collapse of caucus power, the conversation is part civics lesson, part warning shot, and very much in the Nonpartisan Hacks spirit of "the process matters as much as the outcome." Listen in for: What first reading actually is — and why blocking it is more serious than it sounds Why the precedents this government sets will eventually be used against them The municipal parallel: why "second for discussion" is a small but vital democratic norm How outrage clips and Facebook groups are turning every procedural vote into a wedge Why slates are the corrosive factor creeping into otherwise healthy local democracies Rob's reliable forecast: every premier eventually falls — usually to someone you've never heard of 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line. 🎵 Theme music: "Cruising" by Sky Gienger via Uppbeat | License: JNRTTK70QSW4XR8V

    31 min

  4. Apr 11

    So You’re Thinking of Voting in an Election

    Nobody teaches you how to vote well. Maybe they should. You already know how to mark an X on a ballot. But do you know what you're actually voting for? Joel Grenz and Sean Wood — two City of Parksville councillors — break down the overlooked civics of actually choosing who to vote for. From how party slates and vetting work, to why big campaign promises are often a red flag, to the real reason politicians get accused of lying (hint: voters play a role), this is the honest conversation about democratic participation that doesn't happen often enough. Prompted in part by the current BC Conservative leadership race, and with a municipal election on the horizon, this episode is the flip side of a previous discussion, So You’re Thinking of Running for Local Government. Listen in for: Why 99% of local government across Canada is nonpartisan, and why that matters The real role of party vetting, and what happens when it goes sideways Why voting for promises might actually incentivise politicians to lie What to look for instead: character, résumé, trust, and your gut Why voter apathy costs everyone but why an imperfect vote still beats no vote Sean's challenge to every armchair critic with opinions but no nomination papers 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    33 min
  5. The Most Expensive Building Material with George Anderson

    Mar 22

    The Most Expensive Building Material with George Anderson

    What happens when a 20-year-old city councillor grows up to become the MLA, and is still trying to get things built faster? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with George Anderson, MLA for Nanaimo-Lantzville, former Nanaimo city councillor, commercial lawyer, and Parliamentary Secretary for Transit. Anderson shares what it was like being the youngest person at the council table by four decades, how he went from door-knocking to Treasury Board, and what he believes is the most expensive material in home construction today. The conversation spans Anderson’s private member’s bill on building approvals, the mechanics of how private members’ bills actually work, the future of Vancouver Island rail, and why government is like a supertanker — it takes time and patience to change direction. Listen in for: What it’s like being a 20-year-old councillor when the next youngest colleague is 60 How a transportation master plan built over a decade ago still guides Nanaimo today The step-by-step process of how a private member’s bill becomes law in BC Why professional reliance in building approvals could speed up housing construction What the Parliamentary Secretary for Transit actually does How BC’s ports connect Saskatchewan grain to Sapporo beer 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    49 min

  6. Mar 7

    023

    What does it actually take to get something into a government budget? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood go behind the scenes on Sean’s multi-year advocacy journey to increase the Volunteer First Responder Tax Credit — first at the federal level, then provincially in British Columbia. From jogging past the fire hall in Parksville to sitting in the legislature on budget day, it’s a story about persistence, relationships, and pulling every lever you can find. Plus: it's the show's first-ever video episode and there's a new way to pitch in. Joel's agency built GiverLever, a WordPress donation plugin for nonprofits, campaigns, and creators, and you can take it for a spin by supporting the podcast, or back a specific episode you think deserves more listeners by contributing directly on that episodes page on the website. Listen in for: How Sean took an idea from a failed federal campaign to two government budgets What budget day actually looks like inside the BC legislature, including the media “lockup” Why advocating from multiple channels at once is the key to getting things done The real cost difference between volunteer and paid fire departments — and why it matters for your property taxes How a casual conversation with the Minister of Finance at a UBCM reception fits into the bigger advocacy picture 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Wanna watch?

    27 min
  7. From Council Table to Caucus Room: Peter Milobar’s Governance Playbook

    Feb 21

    From Council Table to Caucus Room: Peter Milobar’s Governance Playbook

    20 Years of Lessons from Local Government to the Legislature In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centre and BC Conservative leadership candidate. Milobar's political résumé spans city councillor, three-term mayor, regional district chair, and provincial legislator — what Sean calls "a full political bingo card." The conversation covers what he learned managing a city through the 2008 financial crisis, why infrastructure funding has dried up, and how he got all 10 regional district projects funded when no one else could get one. Milobar also shares candid advice for anyone thinking of running for local office, explains why councillors shouldn't try to make it a full-time job, and makes the case that fixing a road has nothing to do with how you vote federally. Listen in for: How Milobar delivered infrastructure under the rate of inflation during the 2008 economic crisis The story of getting all 10 regional district projects funded by refusing to re-prioritize the list Why BC's $13.5 billion deficit concerns him as the province's finance critic His advice on what voters actually look for — and why single-issue candidates should reconsider Why councillors showing up with hedge trimmers creates more problems than it solves The case for staying in your lane at every level of government 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line. Episode keywords: Peter Milobar, BC Conservative leadership race, MLA Kamloops Centre, local government governance, BC provincial budget deficit, municipal infrastructure funding, running for local government, nonpartisan municipal politics, BC politics podcast, elected officials and staff relationships, civic engagement podcast

    46 min

  8. Feb 1

    Public Engagement Isn’t Broken, It’s Misunderstood

    Two city councillors break down how public hearings, emails, and civic engagement actually work Public hearings, council emails, Facebook rants — everyone has an opinion on how to make their voice heard in local government. But most people have no idea how any of it actually works from the other side of the table. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood — both three years into life as Parksville city councillors — break down what public engagement is actually for, what works, what doesn't, and why your strongly worded Facebook post probably isn't moving the needle the way you think it is. Listen in for: What public hearings are (and aren't) designed to do, including why council can't correct misinformation on the spot Why a personal email will always outperform a form letter The underrated power of just asking your councillor for coffee The uncomfortable truth about social media as a civic tool Why "being heard" and "getting your way" are two very different things — and why that's actually okay We're a representative democracy. That means we elect people to make tough calls on our behalf — even the unpopular ones. This episode is about understanding that system well enough to actually work within it. 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    38 min
See All (28)

About

Hosted by two Parksville city councillors, Nonpartisan Hacks brings you behind the scenes of how government really works — without the spin, the shouting, or the partisanship. We dive into the practical, the absurd, and the oddly inspiring world of local government, while mixing in the occasional provincial and federal twist. Expect real talk about decision-making, budgets, bylaws, and political hot potatoes (with a helping of humour and honesty).

Information

  • Creator
    Joel Grenz and Sean Wood
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025-2026 Nonpartisan Hacks
  • Show Website
    Nonpartisan Hacks

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